Guardians
by NiekaWow
Summary: Ellie is trying to become more independent by herself rather than have constant protection, but it may have been a mistake.
1. Introduction

**A/N This is just an introduction to a story i've had in my mind for a while now, and I hope it rolls out as well as i hope. And if you don't noticed, this chapter was kinda inspired by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (which i do not own) at the start of the movie. You may make the reference if you've seen the film but yeah. It's there. **

**Anyway, i hope you enjoy the prologue of this story. And i'll try to update often, which I'm pretty horrible at, but i'll give it my all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or The Last of Us. All credit goes to Naughty Dog.**

White. Trillions of white flecks had fallen across the ground and leaves, creating a blanket of snow around her feet, and dusted across her jacket. They fell gracefully from a mostly blue sky onto her black beanie, nestling comfortably until they eventually melted. She tilted her head up, closed her eyes and let the cold snow gently cool her heated face. Funny how she felt so flushed despite her fingers being so numb.

She stretched out her fingertips away from her to get the blood flowing, still maintaining a grip on her bow. A sharp arrow rested in position, but not targeted to anything in particular.

She stood in a midst of trees, within the vicinity that anyone guarding the walls at the dam could keep her safe, although she didn't feel it.

Her nose had lost all feeling and began to run as she inhaled the cold crisp air. She wiped under her snout with her sleeve, which Joel had previously taunted her for as a bad habit.

She just needed to leave the house for momentarily. It's becoming as if she tenses up every time he enters the room; like every word that leaves his mouth is a million daggers cutting through her. Though his words were not vile – if anything, loving – she had had enough. And with Esther visiting all the time trying to act as if she were Ellie's mother made her furious. She didn't need guardians. All she needed was her own wellbeing and her dagger. It angered her how that although she was 19 now, everyone is making her life out to be more valuable than it actually is.

She scratched at her itching bite wound on her right forearm which was quickly becoming a scabby and tender nuisance. The fact that it got cut up and dissected while she was unconscious in the hospital didn't make it any better, either.

Hearing the snap of a twig about 20 feet behind her and snapping her out of her frustration, much like she did years ago, she whipped around and aimed her bow at her target. Without even registering, she let the arrow flee from its position, hitting the quarry. For a flash of a second, like a subliminal message embedded in her eyelids she saw the arrow lodged into his chest.

His eyes were wide with shock as he stumbled back from the force, but his eyebrows had furrowed without somewhat anger.

Seeing David's putrid features so close again had given her a momentary shock. Reeling back and gasping, dropping the bow into the thick snow along with her beanie that landed beside it. His greying hair and wrinkles, the moles and even his scent had entered all her senses for just a mili second, but it was enough for her to fall backwards and let the coldness of the snow hug her.

Her heart was pounding and her breathing had become rapid. Her fingertips and toes had felt tingly in panic as she grabbed her pistol and cocked the hammer back.

She pointed it towards him while still displaying her vulnerability in the snow even though the flash of him had already gone. She knew he was gone. It was stupid of her to think otherwise; but her instincts had taken over more than she knew.

She collapsed all of her shaking limbs into the coldness before rubbing her eyes in frustration and holstering her weapon. Before muscling the strength to get up, she stared into the blue sky as the white snowflakes fell onto her face once again. She refused to let herself cry. She couldn't.

She stood up to retrieve her arrow shakily, weary to even go in the vicinity of that direction. Her arrow had emerged into a tree and had unfortunately snapped, and the prey that had snapped her senses awake had already fled.

Her heart had only just started to slow down as she slowly picked up her bow and placed her body between the bow and the string and fixing her beanie over her ears again.

Her eyebrows had scrunched up into a mix of emotions and the tingling started to subside in her fingertips and toes, returning to their normal numbness.

Sudden static had snapped her again into reality from her walkie-talkie that she kept with Maria, and Maria only. She was like the aunt and the only person she could open up to; and the fact that she was a female too made Ellie more comfortable talking about anything.

"Ellie?"

"Yeah?" Ellie spoke back, not realising how shaky her voice still was.

"Thomas just said he saw something happen while keeping watch on you, but couldn't see because of the tree line. You okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm gonna come back now, yeah?"

"Okay. Be safe."

The static blinked out as Ellie had managed to march back to the dam walls, lifting her legs as high as possible to tread through the snow with her hand on holster. She was oblivious to any threat around her. Clickers could have ripped out her throat by now and she wouldn't have known.

All she noticed was the sound of the wind gently rustling the leaves in the trees and her path of direction.

As Ellie approached the walls, she was easily recognised by the fellow civilians who helped work around multiple facilities in the town.

"Everything alright, Elsworth?" Thomas asked. Thomas was a weird one, but in a comedic way. He meant well and wanted you to feel comfortable, but struggled with it most of the time.

"Looked like you freaked out a bit."

"Yeah..," she replied rubbing the back of her neck.

"Guess so."

Ellie strut through the centre of the town to the warm home she shared with Joel with two dead rabbits hanging from her backpack. Kids played Cowboys & Indians with fake guns in front of houses, making a mockery of death and even adding in clickers to fend off. It made Ellie upset to see 5-10 year olds playing as if death is what they wanted, despite the resounding laughter from each other.

She stepped onto the porch and hit the toes of her steel-capped boots against the wood to get any remaining snow and mud off. She removed her bow and satchel of arrows before inhaling deeply, staring at the door with concern before chanting the same ritual she tells herself before talking to him.

_'He loves you. He wants the best for you. You should feel the same. Don't spit bile at him for nothing.'_


	2. Esther

**A/N: Thank you very much to XxxAyakixxX for leaving a review, as a review (good or bad) is very much welcome! Criticism is progression, right?**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

She had only taken two steps into the rotting household and lo and behold Esther was in the kitchen cutting up carrots in preparation for dinner that she made for Joel, Ellie and herself every night. And though Ellie was reluctant to admit it, it was always delicious to her tastebuds.

Tommy was there with Esther too, with a mug of coffee in hand and a slight smile as the red-head girl entered.

The house was warm; a completely different feel from the outside. The fireplace was alive with colour and warmth as Ellie stretched out all her limbs in appreciation.

"Hey Ellie. Didn't catch you this mornin'," Esther chimed, smiling.

Ellie still felt quite shy towards Esther. Maybe shy wasn't the word. Vexed was probably more appropriate. And what made Ellie angrier was that she had nothing to be angry at Esther _about_. Maybe it was because she had just suddenly entered her life out of no where and expected to be accepted. And also the fact that Joel was a liar. Joel and Es had never actually come clean if whether they were in a relationship or not even though it was pretty obvious they were. They never kissed in front of Ellie or anything of the sort, but the fact that they were the same age and she often spends a lot of her nights here was a clear indicator.

Whereas tommy was pretty much already an uncle to Ellie. Tommy and Maria were her best friends and she wouldn't know how to cope without them.

"Yeah," Ellie replied quietly. "I left early to check the bear traps outside the walls."

"And?" Tommy asked.

"Nothing.. Buut..," removing her bow and arrow, she slung her bag off of her shoulders, dusting some unmelted snow onto to floor. The two hares remained attached to her bag as she paced forward with and lobbed her backpack onto the counter in front of Esther. A few small spots of crimson blood splattered over the counter as Ellie began untying their small necks from the strings.

"Not my best, but of course, every animal _is_ hiding from the cold."

"Better than nothing at all, kiddo." Tommy assured. This won a proud smile from Ellie in recognition.

"Ellie.." Esther had repulsed from the blood and the dead animals right in front of her.

"I have dealt with blood and gore before you were even born, but we're more civilised than that now. Please take the rabbits elsewhere."

_Are you fucking kidding me? _Ellie's brows furrowed in confusion. Because there was so much negativity directed towards Esther, there were times where Ellie had evidently snapped. She never meant any harm; but goddamn if Esther didn't say some stupid shit sometimes. Ellie was interrupted from untying the hares and glared at Esther.

"You think because you act 'normal' in this house that it's all rainbows and sunshine outside these walls?" She snarled.

"Ellie-" Tommy put a hand on her shoulder in a feeble attempt to cut her off.

"The world is still fucked up, and just because you don't see that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Ellie could almost taste bile in her mouth. She glanced from Tommy to Esther and they were both glancing awkwardly away. They were aware of the events that had happened to her years ago in a Winter much like this. Joel had explained it all one night when he thought Ellie was asleep, unaware she was eavesdropping.

"I'm sorry." Ellie mumbled, barely a whisper past her lips. Was she actually sorry? Even she didn't know.

Ellie picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder with the two deceased animals still attached to the front porch. It was cold again. Freezing. And it had began snowing again, only heavier this time.

She closed the front door behind her and sat on the frosty bench, being grateful that she kept her coat on.

She untied the hares and whipped out her switchblade to begin skinning them. It no longer troubled her to do this. It was a thing she had to learn to do to survive, so she performed. Her hands her quickly stained red, as were her pants, but it was better than doing it in front of Esther.

Tommy had decided to join her after a moment, pocketing his hands and closing the front door behind him. There was a short time of silence before Tommy spoke up.

"I understand your frustration.. And I'm glad you aren't keeping it too bottled up."

Ellie paused her action to give another grateful smile to him, full of warmth and gratitude, before returning to the pungent job at hand.

"Look.. Uh, a few of our men and women are going on a trip. Not necessarily to hunt, but to lay more traps further from the walls. It's dangerous to go alone, so we figured the bigger the group, the better."

Ellie paused again for a minute, listening to what impending risk he was offering. She glanced up to him, hopeful that she could join on this death mission.

"I'll try to convince Joel, because he can't come.. His leg 'n all.." Tommy added, nodding his head to inside of the building where presumably, Joel was sleeping upstairs. Joel had cut up his leg pretty bad helping out at the stables in which a horse had spontaneously decided it didn't want Joel anywhere near it.

"I would love that.." Ellie said excitedly. She loved feeling apart of the society lived in. Doing nothing to help out made her feel useless and impractical. A dangerous trip outside of the walls wasn't exactly what she had hoped for, but it was enough.

"Great. I'll come back tomorrow to ask Joel, yeah?"

Ellie nodded in response as Tommy bowed his head and walked back his home down the street.

Ellie couldn't help but look down at her blood-stained switchblade and smile.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**

**I feel like the events in these chapters are happening too quickly, but i'll leave that for you guys to decide, so a quick review would mean a lot. :)**


	3. Deviance

**_A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who spent the time to read and review, it really means a lot. So thanks to _****_aces_****_, _****_AspectOfCourage_****_, _****_ I WIN_****_, _****_FragileSpark, _****_ and _****_XxxAyakixxX_****_._**

**_And I do understand that nothing is really known about Esther, so it was kinda risky for me to assume her personality, but it's just one interpretation I made for that chapter so my apologies._**

**_Special thanks to XxxAyakixxX for pointing out that I spelt the frickin' title wrong and I didn't even notice. I fixed it, so thank you._**

**_Constructive criticism is always welcome, so again; thanks! _**

**_Enjoy!_**

_Her lips were so dry they had begun to peel and she could taste vomit in the back of her throat as she lie on her back, staring up at the night sky. She could feel a hot liquid pooling around her, and ants had began to crawl on her face with a searing pain scorching her right arm. She doesn't know where she is; and to be honest, she doesn't care. She's too exhausted. She needs to close her eyes. Just relax and sleep._

Ellie snapped her eyes open with a frightful feeling in her gut. Did she just have a bad dream? She can't even remember. All that she remembers is that the trip with Tommy's crew is this morning.

After copious amounts of disagreements last night with Joel, they had never negotiated that Ellie could make a suicide mission. Rather, it was Tommy and Joel arguing back and forth with each other while Ellie stood awkwardly watching. Any time she made any kind of argument to defend herself, her voice was easily drained out by the commotion of the two brothers.

Joel cared too much, is all. Tommy had seen how independent Ellie was, but never had an emotional connection with her. Not to say he didn't care about her; he was an uncle to her, after all, but he knew what she was capable of and knew he could keep her safe with a large group.

Joel refused to agree. He had kept her alive this long and he wasn't willing for her to die this way.

He had stormed to his bedroom, sick of the arguing. Ellie and Tommy alike thought it was childish of him to throw a tantrum and walk away.

"He did that a fair bit as a kid." Tommy murmured.

Ellie stood up with a sigh and folded her arms across her chest.

"Sorry, Tommy."

"Don't be, kiddo. Ain't your fault." She could tell through his expressions that he was pissed at Joel for becoming so attached. In a way he understood, but Tommy didn't like the way Joel was handling it.

"I just-" Ellie faltered for a moment, glancing towards the bedroom door to make sure Joel wasn't listening. She lowered her voice before speaking again.

"I want to help. I wanna leave this house and be a normal member of this town."

"Ellie-"

"I know Joel wouldn't approve, but we'll come back here safe and sound with every other group member."

Tommy crossed his arms in frustration and sighed. He stuttered with his words for a moment before speaking quietly himself.

"Look, say we make it back safe, yeah? What then? Joel would kill me and god knows how long he'd be pissed at you for."

For once Ellie hadn't actually though that far. She didn't think of the repercussions, at least. She had planned to come home unharmed, but the consequences? It wasn't even a blip on the radar.

Tommy's eyebrows raised at Ellie's pause. She thought for a moment before saying the first thing that came to her mind.

"It's nothing we can't handle, right?" She asked.

"I mean it's just laying some traps that'll take a couple days at the most." By the tone in her voice, she was easily becoming frustrated. Just like when she first interacted with Joel, she wanted to prove her worth and strength.

Tommy wanted to argue further. He really did. But so many crew members had already dropped out last minute that he needed all the help he could get.

"We leave before dawn. We wanna get as much daylight as possible tomorrow."

Ellie slowly rose out of her creaky bed, cautious of Joel who was hopefully still sleeping, and looked out her window to see it was still very much dark outside, but sunrise was approaching.

She tiptoed around her room to dress appropriately with steel-capped boots, cargo pants and a thick winter coat, similar to the one she wore many winters ago. She had prior packed her bag with ammo and food and slung it over her back along with her bow, 12 arrows and hunting rifle which she had kept secretly stored in her wardrobe.

She's lucky that Joel had developed the habit of being a deep sleeper. Any sort of sound and he would jolt awake in fear of safety, but thankfully over the years, his concious developed the understanding that he was in a safe environment.

She peeked out her window once more and saw the clouds along the horizon was beginning to turn a light pink.

"Pink at night is Shepherd's delight," Ellie mumbled to herself, nostalgic. "Pink in the morning is Shepherd's warning."

Ellie had been taught the childish rhyme from Winston back when she used to sneak around the mall with Riley and him.

It was a way to tell the weather for the coming day. 'Pink at night is Shepherd's delight' meant that if there were pink clouds of a night, it was well weather for the next day, whereas the latter rhyme meant that the day was not going to be set for well weather that day if pink roamed the morning sky.

From the small amount of light showing so far, she could see clouds forming in a grey colour.

Ellie turned and examined her darkly lit room once more. Some of her comic books lie on her bedside table, most of them in her backpack and a Savage Starlight poster hung on her wall above her double bed. This may be the last time she's in her bedroom. And she hadn't even said goodbye to Joel after he stormed out last night.

She switched off her light and creeped downstairs with all her gear. Slowly opening the front door, she saw that it was snowing lightly, and Tommy as well as around six other men and women mounted upon horses from the stables.

Tommy held the reins to another horse with gear strapped to it's saddle as he held them towards her. She graciously grabbed the reins and threw it over the horses head. She mounted the mare and nodded solemnly at Tommy.

"Alright. Let's head out."

Ellie looked back to the home she had shared for so many years and almost felt regret for not at least saying goodbye. She was going to make it home if her life depended on it. Snowflakes gently fell onto her face as she put on her gloves, before gripping the reins and walked along with the crew towards the gates of the town.

_**I'm not too proud of this chapter, but I promise I **__**will**__** make it up to you all for the next upcoming chapters, so stay tuned!**_

_**Again, reviews are welcome, and thanks for reading :)**_


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